4 Basic Elements of a Well Designed Building Access System

A building access system is composed of four basic pieces, the Master, the Site Controller, the Entry Control Unit, and the User Input Device. These four components are crucial to creating or expanding your building access system.

1) Master Station:

A master station interfaces with your Site Controllers and transfers updated access codes, schedules, and BAS-specific instructions to your system. A master station provides centralized management for your entire system.

2) Site Controller:

The Site Controller controls local access at your remote site. The unit maintains a list of personnel who are authorized to access the facility. The Site Controller knows which personnel can access which doors during which days and hours. It records all valid entries, attempts, and the time of each action. It can hold up to 1,300 user profiles. A good Site Controller should maintain a history log that records a running tally of each indiviual site access.

3) Entry Control Unit:

This device is mounted on the interior of the site directly behind the the proxy card reader. An access code that is read by the proxy card reader is accepted by the ECU and sent onto the Site Controller or the master station for validation. If the access code is valid, the ECU will release the door strike. In the event of a communication error, the ECU can verify access through a single emergency access code. This code will only be effective if the connection between the Site Controller and the ECU has been severed.

4) User Input Device (Keypad or Proxy Reader):

These devices are mounted to a wall or the door itself. The proxy card reader sends codes from keypads or keycards to the Entry Control Unit for verification.

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